Method of and apparatus for spreading fertilizer

Claim 2

A fertilizing apparatus comprising: a chassis displaceable along the ground; a concrete-mixer type drum on said chassis having an upper end formed with a mouth; support means on said chassis for rotation of said drum about an axis inclined to the horizontal; drive means on said chassis for rotating said drum about said axis in one sense for mixing material in said drum and in the opposite sense for displacing the mixed material out of said mouth; spreader means on said chassis adjacent said mouth and including at least one horizontal member extending transverse to the direction of displacement of said chassis for distributing the material emitting from said mouth on the ground at a multiplicity of spaced locations along said member; a flat gate hinged on said chassis abovE said mouth and overlying same, said gate being provided with an upwardly open funnel and being formed at the base of said funnel with a hole ; and a flap hinged to said gate and normally covering said hole on the face of said gate away from said funnel, and spring means urging said flap into a position covering said hole.

Claim 3

The fertilizing apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said chassis is provided with at least one ground-engaging wheel, said horizontal member comprises a duct provided with downwardly directed spaced-apart openings, and said spreader means includes an auger in said duct and a hydraulic motor connected to said auger, said apparatus further comprising a source of hydraulic medium, and flow-control means connected in circuit between said source and said hydraulic motor.

Claim 4

The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said spreader means comprises a pair of such spreading ducts disposed on opposite sides of a vertical longitudinal median plane through said chassis, each of said ducts being provided with one such auger and a respective hydraulic motor driving same, said chassis being formed with a hopper communicating with said mouth and leading to said ducts in the vicinity of said plane, said chassis being formed with two such wheels on opposite sides of said plane, each operatively connected to a respective flow-control device in a hydraulic circuit between said source and the respective hydraulic motor whereby the fertilizer is discharged from said ducts at rates determined by the rate of rotation of the respective wheel.

Claim 5

The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein each of said devices is a hydraulic pump.

Claim 6

The apparaatus defined in claim 3 wherein each of said device is a hydraulic motor driving the respective wheel.

Claim 7

The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said source is a hydraulic pump and said drive means includes a hydraulic motor operatively connected to said drum and in fluid communication with said pump.

Claim 8

The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said hydraulic motor of said drive means is a hydrostatic motor.

Claim 9

The apparatus defined in claim 1, further comprising a prime mover on said chassis for the self-propulsion thereof.

Claim 12

A fertilizing apparatus comprising: a chassis displaceable along the ground; a concrete-mixer-type drum on said chassis having an upper end formed with a mouth; support means on said chassis for rotation of said drum about an axis inclined to the horizontal; drive means on said chassis for rotating said drum about said axis in one sense for mixing material in said drum and in the opposite sense for displacing the mixed material out of said mouth; spreader means on said chassis adjacent said mouth and including at least one horizontal member extending transverse to the direction of displacement of said chassis for distributing the material emitting from said mouth on the ground at a multiplicity of spaced locations along said member; said spreader including a hopper for holding a quantity of said material and a perforated element connected to said hopper for distributing said material on the ground; and a level sensor in said hopper and control means connected to said sensor and to said drive means for rotating said drum in said one sense for mixing on the level of material in said hopper being above said sensor and for rotating said drum in said opposite sense on said level dropping below said sensor.

Claim 13

A fertilizing apparatus comprising: a chassis displaceable along the ground; a concrete-mixer-type drum on said chassis having an upper end formed with a mouth; support means on said chassis for rotation of said drum about an axis inclined to the horizontal; drive means on said chassis for rotating said drum about said axis in one sense for mixing material in said drum and in the opposite sense for displacing the mixed material out of said mouth; spreader means on said chassis adjacent said mouth and including at least one horizontal member extending transverse to the direction of displacement of said chassis for distributing the material emitting from said mouth on the ground at a multiplicity of spaced locations along said member; said spreader including a hopper for holding a quantity of said material and a perforated element connected to said hopper for distributing said material on the ground; and a level sensor in said hopper and control means connected to said sensor and to said drive means for rotating said drum in said one sense for mixing on the level of material in said hopper being above said sensor and for rotating said drum in said opposite sense on said level dropping below said sensor.

Claim 14

The fertilizing apparatus defined in claim 10 wherein said chassis is provided with at least one ground-engaging wheel, said horizontal member comprises a duct provided with downwardly directed spaced-apart openings, and said spreader means includes an auger in said duct and a hydrailic motor connected to said auger, said apparatus further comprising a source of hydraulic medium, and flow-control means connected in circuit between said source and said hydraulic motor.

Claim 15

The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein said spreader means comprises a pair of such spreading ducts disposed on opposite sides of a vertical longitudinal median plane through said chassis, each of said ducts being provided with one such auger and a respective hydraulic motor driving same, said chassis being formed with a hopper communicataing with said mouth and leading to said ducts in the vicinity of said plane, said chassis being formed with two such wheels on opposite sides of said plane, each operatively connected to a respective flow-control device in a in a hydraulic circuit between said source and the respective hydraulic motor whereby the fertilizer is discharged from said ducts at rates determined by the rate of rotation of the respective wheel.

Claim 16

The appartus defined in claim 12 wherein each of said devices is a hydraulic pump.

Claim 17

The apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein each of said devices is a hydaulic motor driving the respective wheel.

Claim 18

The apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein said source is a hydraulic pump and said drive means includes a hydraulic motor operatively connected to said drum and in fluid communication with said pump.

Claim 19

The apparatus defined in claim 15 wherein said hydaulic motor of said drive means is a hydrostatic motor.

Claim 20

The apparatus defined in claim 10, further comprising a prime mover on said chassis for the self-propulsion thereof.

Claim 21

The apparatus defined in claim 10, wherein said spreader means is removably mounted onssaid chassis.